Diesel-Powered BMW 5-Series Hits Dealers Next Month

Automotive Editor

Anthony Alaniz is an award-winning journalist living in southeast Michigan. His professional writing career spans nearly a decade, ranging from writing for the local newspaper to Autoweek and Motor1. When he's not writing about cars, he covers the horror film genre at Modernhorrors.com.

, Automotive Editor -January 12, 2018

This is BMW's sixth powertrain for the 5-Series.

With all the concern surrounding diesel engines since Volkswagen's Dieselgate scandal, new diesel engines have been slow to come to market. This month federal officials certified the 2018 BMW 540d for sale in the US, which will arrive in dealers sometime next month. A diesel 5-Series saw a one-year hiatus from the market.

The 2018 540d starts at $62,995 (price includes destination charge) and comes with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Unlike its 2016 predecessor, however, the 2018 model comes with all-wheel drive only. The 2018 BMW 540d will come in three option trims – Premium, M Sport, and Executive.

The 2018 540d slots above the gas-powered BMW 540i. This is the sixth powertrain available for the BMW 5-Series. Those other powertrains include the turbocharged four-cylinder in the 530i, the plug-in hybrid 530e, the turbo straight-6 in the 540i, the turbocharged M550i, and the M5.

The EPA rates the 540d to return 26 miles per gallon in the city and 36 mpg on the highway for a combined rating of 30 mpg. The 530e plug-in hybrid, which costs $7,350 less than the 540d, returns 29 mpg combined while having an electric-only range of 16 miles. The 540d is BMW's third diesel model in the US, joining the 328d and X5 xDrive35d.

Anthony Alaniz is an award-winning journalist living in southeast Michigan. His professional writing career spans nearly a decade, ranging from writing for the local newspaper to Autoweek and Motor1. When he's not writing about cars, he covers the horror film genre at Modernhorrors.com.